Thurston g



(No Model.)

T. G. HALL. APPARATUS POR MANUFACTURING GAS.

No. 494,l98. Patented Mar. 28', 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THURSTON G. HALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL CHEMI- CAL AND GAS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,198, dated March 28, 1893.

Application filed December 2, 1889. Serial No. 332,271. (No model.)

To all whom itl/may concern: is located an eduction-pipe e, in which is Be itknown that I, THURSTON G. HALL, of placed a steam jet injector f, constructed in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of the usual way, so that upon injectinga jet of Illinois, have invented a new, useful, and Imsteam into the pipe e, the suction is sufficient proved Apparatus for Manufacturing Comto produce a draft through the entire struct- 55 pound Gas, of which the following -is a full, ure. Said converter, from the combustionclear, and exact description, reference being chamber to the outlet pipe forms ak fixing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a chamber and is filled with a mass g, g', g2, of part of this specification, in which like letters refractory material, andlmixed metals, such Io of reference in the different gures indicate as iron and brass, copper and. iron, or other 6o like parts. metals and materials,such as iron and fire- The object of my invention is to provide a clay, it being understood that materials are simple, cheap and efficient apparatus or conrequired which possess opposite electric polarverter in which coal, Wood, oil, or other car-` ities and that such metals or materials are so t5 bonaceous matter, but more especially the disposed that metals or materials of opposite 65 former, may be manufacturedinto compound polarities will not come in electric contact gas for heating or illuminating purposes,- with each other. said converter being sc constructed that the The method or manner of so disposing of entire products of combustion may be transsuch material is indicated in the drawings by zo formedinto gas without the formation of coke, the several shapes of the different kinds of 7o by the continuous process herein setforthgmaterials: that is, the circle indicates, say, all of which -is hereinafter more particularly pieces of iron, the square, say, pieces of copdescribed and claimed.V per, and the triangle, say, pieces of refractory Figure l,of the drawings, is a longitudinal material. Where the above named materials sectional view of my improved device. Fig. rare employed, the iron and copper being pref- 75 2, is a transverse sectionalview taken upon erably in the form ofa salt, g indicates the the line oc, Fig. l, and Fig. 3, is aplan View refractory material, which may be iireclay, upon a reduced scale showinga modified cong the pieces of copper, and g2 the pieces of struction. Y iron.

3o Referring to said drawings, A, represents H, in the drawings, representsasteam boiler 8o the outer case of my improved converter, having the usual furnace beneath, by which which is preferably constructed of brick or steam may be primarily generated to start the tile, and, by preference, provided with a linsteam jet injectorf. Apipej,having a valve ing ct, of fire-brick or other highly refractory j therein to control the flow of steam,is conmaterial;-thewhole structure beingproperly nected with said boiler and to the forward 85 stayed by means of suitable cross-rods to hold end of the generator at Which latter point it it firmly together. At one end of said conis inserted, preferably,into the mass of reverter is located a furnace or combustionfractory material.

Y chamber b, which is preferably provided with Upon starting the steam jet injector, a 4o a grate c, in the usual form, upon which the strong draft -is induced through the mass 9o fuel is placed as shown. Beneath the grate with which the converteris illed,th`ereby conis an ash-pit, and doors b,b2, are provided for veying the products of combustion in a sinuaccess to said combustion chamber and ashous course through said mass which becomes A pit respectively. Within the case A, is placed highly heated, and thereby serves to convert a series of transverse partitions, d, which eX- the products of combustion with the steam and 95 tend alternately from the bottom toward the air into gas. The filling, g, g, g2, being comtop, and from the top toward the bottom of posed of materials as stated, having opposite the inclosure, as clearly indicated in Fig.1;- electric polarities, an electric, catalytic or said partitions being preferably made of fireother action is produced,whichis, in the presbrick. At the opposite end of the structure ence of the heat obtaining in the fixing chamroo ber or regenerator, sufficient to change the vapors intoa compound gas by separating the elements, which recombine in the latter form. In such case, a less degree of heat is required than if a material of single polarity is employed, and, too, if a material of single polarity is employed as filling a permanent or fixed gas will not be obtained.

For the purpose of heating the boiler H, a pin h, may be carried from the pipe @beneath said boiler. The gas may be burned for heating purposes While hot, or it may be cooled and stored in the usual Way. In Fig. 3, I have shown a cooler 7.o, which may be constructed in the usual manner. In order that the converter may be made to occupy a more compact space, it may be constructed with one or more longitudinal partitions 0,', Fig. 3, so that the products of combustion may be carried back and forth from end to end of the converter before escaping-thereby insuring a sufficient travel through said filling to attain the desired result.

In Fig. l, I have shown an oil pipe Z, which maybe connected With a source of oil supply, and the products of combustion of said oil may be used either With said coal or other solid carbonaceous matter, or the oil alone may be employed; but I prefer the solid fuel, though a small quantity of oil may be employed to good advantage to increase the candle power of the gas.

By means of a pipe indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, ablast of air may be injected into the combustion chamber to start the fire. It is also obvious that said blast, with the steam from pipe j, may be employed to produce the circulation, and maintain the combustion, but I prefer the steam jet injector as specified.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A filling for the regenerating chamber of a gas machine composed of materials of opposite electric polarities arranged so that materials of opposite polarities Will not come in contact with each other; substantially as described.

2. In a gas machine, a :regenerator consisting of a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and a lfilling contained therein, composed of materials of opposite electric polarities, the materials of opposite polarities not coming in electrical contact With each other, and so arranged as to form a series of' gas passages through the chamber; substantiallyas described.

3. The combination in a gas apparatus of a converter having a combustion chamber and a regenerating chamber communicating therewith, such regenerating chamber having a filling therein of materials having opposite electric polarities arranged so that materials of opposite polarities Will not come in contact with each other, and such filling forming a series of gas passages; substantially as described.

4. The combination in a gas apparatus, of a converter provided With a combustion chamber, a series of partitions extending alternately from opposite Walls of said converter partially across the same thereby forming a serpentine-form passageway, and a lling of refractory materials having opposite electric polarities contained in such serpentine-form passage-Way forming a series of gas passage- Ways, and so disposed that materials of opposite polarities will not be in contact, substantially as shown and described.

5. A gas apparatus consisting of an inclosure or converter provided with acombustionchamber therein, means for admitting air and steam to said converter, a series of partitions extending alternately from the bottom to near the top and from the top to near the bottom of Ithe converter forming a serpentineform passage-Way, a filling of refractory material of opposite electric polarities in such serpentine-forni passage-Way forming a series of gas passage-Ways, an eduction pipe, and means for producing a circulation through the same of air, steam and the products of combustion, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination in a gas apparatus of a series of vertical partitions arranged to eX- tend partly across the inclosure, beginning alternately at the bottom and top thereof', and a filling of refractory material therein of opposite electric polarities forming a series of gas passages therethrough, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 7th day of November, 1889.

THURSTON G. HALL.

Witnesses:

S. D. MADDIN, J. B. HALPENNY.

IOO 

